PSU players visit MC youth football camp
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LEWISTOWN -- Among a group of youth football players, Penn State's Golden Israel-Achumba and Hakeem Omar Beamon were giants.
The 6-4, 336-pound Israel-Achumba and the 6-3, 284-pound Beamon towered over the second- through eighth-graders attending the Mifflin County Youth Football Camp Thursday night.
The two Nittany Lion linemen were the highlight of the three-day event, organized by Mifflin County head football coach Shane Breon and his staff. It was held on the Huskies' practice field across the street from the Mifflin County Junior High School.
"When I mentioned it to the kids that they were coming, they seemed very excited about it," said Breon, who wrapped up his first season with the Huskies last year.
Breon was voted Mid-Penn Conference Keystone Division Coach of the Year as the Huskies finished 6-5 overall.
Israel-Achumba, an offensive lineman, appeared in three games last season, primarily on special teams. He also earned Academic All-Big Ten honors.
A redshirt senior, Beamon played in 13 games for Penn State last season, making 12 starts at defensive tackle. He finished with 16 tackles, six tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. He also led the defensive line with four pass breakups.
"They work their tails off," Breon said. "It's amazing how much those kids work and how hard they work. They're an inspiration to everyone."
The focus on Tuesday was offense then defense on Wednesday before wrapping up with drills and a one-hour visit with the Nittany Lions. "They took most of the attention," laughed Breon. "I'm thankful for those guys coming."
The Penn State players' appearance was provided by Geisinger, which supports athletes like Israel-Achumba and Beamon through the Name Image Likeness (NIL) program.
"This is something I've wanted to do," Breon said of holding the camp. "I was hired late last year, and we had something last minute on a Saturday, but it really prevented it from being anything major. This worked out really well, and it's been great."
About 70 campers attended the event, which was open to anyone. Besides players from Mifflin County, there were others from Juniata County in attendance.
Breon and his staff were also assisted by high school players. The coach felt those players would reap the rewards of interacting with the younger campers.
"It's important to have the older kids there," Breon said. "The younger kids look up to the older kids, so the older ones can talk about working hard and dedicating themselves to being the best players they can be."
A few can even dream of filling the shoes of the Penn State players. Breon told his campers that anything is possible with the right attitude and hard work.
"You look at them and see their hard work and how much they hit the weight room," Breon said of Israel-Achumba and Beamon. "Maybe they can be that big someday. I hope they realize they can if they want to.
"That's the message the kids will bring," he added. "They will inspire these young kids to look at themselves and dedicate themselves."
The coach certainly was grateful for the Nittany Lion players' appearance. It's another big moment for a program headed in the right direction.
"It's great how attentive they were," Breon said of his campers. "They're coming here and are willing to learn. They're good little athletes. We had the kids throwing the ball a little bit.
"We're making something good here," he added. "If we keep developing those kids, we can build this program where we want it to be."
Even though it was the first taste of football for some, most campers seemed to enjoy running through the same drills that are used by their older counterparts. "They were able to see what we do at the high school level," Breon explained.
The coach also used the camp as an opportunity to talk to parents about playing football for his program. "It's important for me to get in front of them. As we're building this up, it will expand even more in the years to come."
Breon can't wait for the Huskies to take the field for the upcoming season. He's already counting down the days for the home opener.
"We want to get the community support behind our kids," Breon explained. "That's why it's important to reach out and do different things in the community. We want to get everybody involved and pack that house. We want it to be electric at Mitchell Field that first night."
Of course, Breon is excited about the prospects of playing at the Huskies' new stadium complex.